News

AoC ‘disappointed’ local sustainability reviews won’t include schools

The Association of Colleges has criticised the Department for Education’s new local area reviews for not including small “non-viable”…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon
News

Tenth UTC closure announced

Yet another university technical college will close later this year, taking the total to 10 for the troubled programme….

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

ESFA apologises over apprenticeship off-the-job calculation blunder

The Education and Skills Funding Agency has apologised for causing confusion in its off-the-job training rule and updated its…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Training provider director jailed for 8 months for fraud

A former director of a training provider that falsified exam papers for individuals seeking to gain security guard licenses…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Minister admits a lot ‘we don’t know yet’ about Treasury backed national retraining scheme

The government still doesn’t know how the national retraining scheme will work or how much it will cost, even…

Jessica Fino
Jessica Fino
News

Select committee chair and skills minister clash over Spending Review strategy

The skills minister and the chair of the education select committee were at loggerheads this morning after Anne Milton…

Fraser Whieldon
Fraser Whieldon


News

Short-term fix found for gap in apprenticeship quality assurance arrangements

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has reached a deal with the organisation that has delivered external quality…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Minimum standards to be scrapped as part of earlier and stronger intervention regime

The Education and Skills Funding Agency is going to scrap its minimum standards policy as part of an earlier…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

New ‘triggers’ for government intervention in colleges revealed

Colleges that experience “serious” cash flow pressures, breach bank covenants, or have significantly delayed accounts will be placed into…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Ofsted watch: Mixed results for FE providers

It has been a varied week in the FE sector, with three providers receiving ‘good’ grades from Ofsted while…

Jessica Fino
Jessica Fino
News

Alert raised on the high volume of ‘tie-breaks’ in latest ESF tendering process

Further questions are being asked about the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s recent European Social Fund tender, after FE…

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

Funding clawback for college at risk of cash crisis

A college already in financial difficulty is being forced to pay back nearly £1 million to the government as…

Jessica Fino
Jessica Fino

Must read

Apprenticeships, Politics

Phillipson to exempt young people from level 7 apprenticeships funding axe

Education secretary makes ‘important concession’ amid backlash from other government departments

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
Colleges, FE Commissioner

Weston chair felt powerless over £2.5m payments to former principal

Ex-Weston college chair gives tell-all interview following FE Commissioner probe

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Colleges

Weston College governance failure allowed ‘concealment’ of £2.5m payments to former principal

Paul Phillips was paid £1.8m in 2023, including a ‘significant’ six-figure retention payment which his COO son ‘resisted’ paying…

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
T Levels

NAO reveals enormity of T Level take-up failure

Forecasts missed by 75% and secret DfE estimates show staff and employer shortages could limit places to 48,000 students

Anviksha Patel
Anviksha Patel
Adult education, ITPs

Mayors dump adult education cuts on independent training providers

Up to two-thirds axed from devolved procured budgets

Josh Mellor
Josh Mellor
Bootcamps, Skills bootcamps

Coding firm caught charging students for free bootcamps

Ed tech provider ‘regretful’ after complaints and promises full refunds as bosses try to sue DfE over non-payments

Billy Camden
Billy Camden and Frances Read